Fruit-harvesting device



(No Model.)

A. HIBBS.

FRUIT HARVESTING DEVICE.

No. 300,608. Patented June 17, 1884.

O W] TJVESSES ill UNITED STATES Pnrniv'r @rrrcn.

AMOS HIBBS, O13 SEXVELLS'VILTl-E, OHIO.

FRUIT-HARVESTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,608, dated June 1884- Application filed Jan nary 29, 136i.

T0 (t2! whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMOS Hrnns, a citizen of the United States,lrcsiding at Sewellsville, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Imp rovements in Fruit-Harvesting Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying draw ings.

Figure 1 representsa vertical sectional view of my device. Fig. 2 is a side view of the box, and Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same.

This invention has relation to means for facilitating the work of harvesting fruit; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices, as hereinafterset forth, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. V

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a small beam having a series of notch-bearings in its upper edge, as indicated at c a, and a forked end, Z). This beam is designed to be thrown across from one limb to another, in order to get room for working when there is no limb convenient.

B indicates the hanger, which is provided with a hook, 0, adapted to engage the beam. A pulley, I), is pivoted in the hanger, and over this pulley passes a rope or cord, (1, to one end of which is attached a weight, E, and to the other end a box or receiver, 11, having its bottom made in two sections, 00, which are hinged to the side walls of the box. Each section 0 is provided with a projection,

g, at one of its inner corners, which extends outward into a recess in the wall of the box. Across this recess extends a'slide-bar, G, having a catch, 71, designed to engage the projections g of the bottom sections, 0, when the slide is held in engaging position by the trip Ii, whereof a projection or lug, m, engages a notch, 11, in the slide G. The trip L is a vertically-sliding bar which projects downward below the bottom of the box. hen the box is pressed downward on the trip, the projection thereon becomes disengaged from the slide G, so that the latter is by means of the sprin 'X thrown out of engagement with the lugs of the bottom sections, 6, allowing the latt r to fall, discharging the contents of the box on the ground easily and without bruising the fruit. The hanger B is made with side walls which form bearings for the pulley. To the middle portion or body of the hanger is [No modclJ attached the upper end of a spring-brake, M, the lower end of which is provided with a felt or leather bearing, an.

1? indicates a lever-arm having a cross-bar, p, the ends of which are journaled in the walls of the hanger. The lower end of this lever is connected to the lower end of the brakearm, and to its upper end is attached a cord, 1, which extends "through a perforation, s, in the hanger. A setscrew, S, passes through a bearing, 5, of the hanger, and is designed to operate on the brake-bar, when turned up, causing the brake to press with greater or less friction on the perimeter of the pulley and on the cord in the groove thereof. By pulling the operatingcord of the lever P this brakepressure can be taken oil", allowing the pulley to turn with the cord.

The weight E, which is attached to one end of the cord (l, is designed to be heavy enough to counterbalance the weight of the box and its load at the other end. The box is connected to the cord by means of a flat hook,V,whieh is provided with a guard block or stop, to, adapted to prevent the handle I of the box from becoming casually disengaged from the hook.

Thehanger is designed to be hitched near the top of the tree on one side, and the fruit on that side is picked into the box, which is then lowered to the ground and automatically empties itself. It is then returned to the up per portions of the tree for another load. The fruit can be rapidly and easily picked, and

. will be discharged without in} ury.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The fruitcarrying box having an automatically-opening bottom and connected by a cord to a counterbalancingweight, in combination with a hanger having a pulley and adjustable irict-ion-ln'ake, snbstantiall y as speci fied.

2. The hanger described, having a grooved pulley-spring friction-brake, adapted to operate on the pnlley cord connecting the fruitbox and connterbalancing-weight, setscrew S, and releasing-lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AMOS HIBBS.

Witnesses:

'1. IV. MAJOR, J. J. l\.[ANSl:"IELl). 

